1. Field of the invention
This invention relates to a scroll type compressor to be employed, for example, in an automotive air conditioner. More particularly, the present invention relates to the structure of an outlet for discharging a compressed gas from the housing of the compressor to an external piping.
2. Description of the Related art
A typical scroll type compressor is provided with a housing in which a fixed scroll is accommodated. The fixed scroll has a base plate and a spiral element. A rotary shaft is supported at the front side of the housing via a bearing, and an eccentric pin is attached to the inner end of the rotary shaft. A movable scroll having a boss at the front surface of its base plate is provided. The boss engages the eccentric pin via a bushing and a bearing so as to rotate relative to the eccentric pin. The spiral element of the movable scroll meshes with the spiral element of the fixed scroll at staggered angles.
An anti-rotation mechanism is interposed between the movable scroll and a fixed pressure receiving wall of the housing. This mechanism prohibits rotation of the movable scroll and allows orbital movement thereof. Compression chambers are defined between the spiral element of the fixed scroll and that of the movable scroll. The volume of the compression chambers or pockets is reduced as they are moved from the periphery toward the center under the orbital movement of the movable scroll. Thus, a refrigerant gas is compressed in the pockets.
Furthermore, in the conventional compressor described above, as shown in FIG. 9, a rear housing 42 is fixed to the rear side of a base plate 4a of a fixed scroll 41. The rear housing 42 is provided with a discharge chamber 43 for temporarily storing the high-pressure refrigerant gas discharged through a discharge port 41c of the base plate 4a so as to moderate surging of the gas. An outlet flange 42a is formed integrally with the rear housing 42 on the outer circumferential wall thereof. The outlet flange 42a has an outlet 42b for leading the gas in the discharge chamber 43 to an external refrigerant piping.
In the conventional compressor, the outlet flange 42a is formed on the outer peripheral wall of the rear housing 42. Accordingly, the depth L of the rear housing 42 in the axial direction of the compressor cannot be made smaller than the diameter D of the outlet flange 42a. This undesirably lengthens the compressor.
It has been proposed to form an outlet flange on the rear side wall of the rear housing. However, such a structure also increases the length of the compressor.